Cali
Girl name · #574 in 2025 · Rare
Cali is currently the #574 girl name in the United States — 518 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #232, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,475 girls born in 2025 was named Cali.
Babies named Cali per year. Source: SSA.
The 66-year story
Cali first appears in the Social Security records in 1959, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2014, when 1,664 girls were named Cali — good for #202 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cali against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cali in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Cali is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Cali will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Cali is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cali is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Cali is most common in MS (1.6 per 1,000), LA (1.2 per 1,000), SC (0.7 per 1,000), KY (0.6 per 1,000), FL (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Cali is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Cali
Statistically, parents drawn to Cali tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kali, Charli, Lexi, Maci, and Yareli.
KaliCharliLexiMaciYareliCharleyLyricKennedi
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cali | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 518 | #574 |
| 2024 | 622 | #493 |
| 2023 | 683 | #450 |
| 2022 | 844 | #373 |
| 2021 | 969 | #336 |
| 2020 | 1,089 | #294 |
| 2019 | 1,217 | #274 |
| 2018 | 1,188 | #279 |
| 2017 | 1,128 | #288 |
| 2016 | 1,200 | #264 |
| 2015 | 1,437 | #232 |
| 2014 | 1,664 | #202 |
| 2013 | 1,133 | #280 |
| 2012 | 946 | #331 |
| 2011 | 816 | #389 |
| 2010 | 757 | #416 |
| 2009 | 732 | #434 |
| 2008 | 740 | #428 |
| 2007 | 664 | #489 |
| 2006 | 482 | #605 |
| 2005 | 450 | #624 |
| 2004 | 346 | #754 |
| 2003 | 317 | #779 |
| 2002 | 284 | #818 |
| 2001 | 257 | #891 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cali a popular girl name?
Cali ranked #574 among girls in 2025 with 518 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #232.
When was the name Cali most popular?
Cali peaked in 2014, when 1,664 American girls received the name (ranked #202 that year). Since 2014 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cali?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,475 newborn American girls was named Cali. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.